Electric switch lock



Patented pr.v 25,.-1933 I UNITED STATES IREDEnIcx w. xuLIcxE, 011*V PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.assIGNoIL/nvIIESNE ASSIGNMENTS, To THE nmc'rnomcx MANUFACTURING `COMPANY, or vIcxsnUnG,

mssIssIPrI, a CORPORATION oFl MISSISSIPPI mcrmc swn'cn Loox 'i Application med Haren 1', `19:10. sum1-N. 432,847'.

My invention relates yto Velectric `switch locks and ithasl for its general objectvto provide a novel constructionv wherein the switch contacts are so related to a movable `part of a lock vstructurethat movementof the said part into andfrom `locking `posi- -tion voperates to open and close the said invention comprehends the construction and arrangement of parts `as `hereinafter described in detail, particularly pointed out in the claims and as illustrated in the drawing, 4wherein is showna preferred embodiment of constructionembodying the invenf tion. However, it will be understood, that the invention. may be, vembodied in other formsl of construction than that` shown and that changes in the details, ofconstruction within the scopel of the claims may be made without departing from theinvention.

Fig. 1 is a view in centralverticallongi tudinal sectional elevation of an electric switch lock 'embodying the invention and also showing an adjoining portion of a support therefor;

Fig. 2 is a. similar view with the locking means in different osition from`V that in which it is shown in i ig. 1;

Fig. 3 is alongitudinal v1ew in sectional elevation, the sectional portions being taken along the line 3-3 ofFig. 1;

lb 13. ThA o e nt of thelock Sua une e m v' me 4system-:for automobiles.` The portion of the" Fig. 4 is a transverse sectional view taken von the line 4-4 of Fig. 1; and y Fig. 5 is a view partly in bottom plan and partly in transverse section.

In the drawing I have showna lock casf in f 1 within which is slidably mounted a loi cylinder2 within which is mounted the cylinder 2 within the casing 1 is' limited b means of a sloti 4 in the side ofthe'said' `cy -f screw. Thecasing'lfisprovidedwith i la slot or. elongated 'notch l6 u on its inner `side with which `the lookin bollt I is` adapted to engage when the 'loc vis pushed into its innermost locking position as` indicated in Fig.`;2 ofthedrawing;4 The locking bolt is adapted to ,be withdrawn from"` the slot or notch 6 by means .of a key 8 as usual. The casing 1 is* adapted to bejmounted by any suitable means and in any known man-` ner upon a support-A, such for example "as the instrument ,boardof an automobile. While the device, of the invention has been designedprimarily `as, a locking meansjfor automobiles itis apparent that itmay be utilized as al lockl for machines or appara- .tus of other types.

The inner or bottom endfof the'casingf4 is closed Vby means of aiplate 9, the outerw.; v

edges of' which are flangedy as 'indicated at V9'.' The plate 9 and its fiage- 9'] arfinserted into theopen inner end'ory bottom of of the thecasing 1," after which -'the edv said casing are crimped or indente as 'shown at 10. The projectionsthus formed engage the outeredge of the plate 9 `and retain ,it vpermanentlyY in place. lln'terposed. between the inneredge of Vthe flange 9 vand an an` nular shoulder vupon the inner side ofthe casing 1 isa disc "11 of insulating material upon which are mounted the contacts 12 and 13 for openin and'fclosing an electric circuit. strip of suitable resilient metal bent toyoke shape asshown, one side' of whichk constitutes a base 16 which is secured by means foijx,rietal'v rivets 17 andi 18 to the top orinne'r sideof the disc 11 of insulating material. The said rivets also operate to secure or fastent'o'fthe opposite or bottom side of the' disc` 11 a One o these contacts comprises a metal strip 20 having spacedfprojections whichare bent into loops .,oreye'portions'21 ductor 23 may extendftothe timer-distributor mechanism (not shown) of an ignition said conductor between `thelockswitch cas-` ingl and the `time distributorl of such av system should be protected by an armor 25 of suitable Vtough metal.

The inner end of the rivet 18 is extended as indicated yto form a sup ort for a coiled 5 spring 26, the inner endo which isyseated f '.uponthe'base-land the outer end of which is'seatedagainst the inneror under side'ot` the portion 28 Aof the Contact 12. The normal-,tendency of said spring Ais to expand so '..as to thold., or tend tog-.hold theportion28 'of theVyoke-shaped contact 12 in itsoutermost or closed position. The free andmov'- able end.v of the portion 28 of theisaidcon-g 'tact is provided with a projection 30 which l5 extends inwardly toward't-he bottom of `the l casi'ngllfof the switch lock and in outwardly inclined relation jor o, direction with respect "tothe y'axis of thev structure.l The 'sa-id' in-v clinedy'portion 30 constitutes the contacting lortion' of the yoke-.shaped contact Vmemr 12` and is located in' so-operative relation with respect to a portion'31 of the contactf13fslimilarly 'inclinedjin the o'p osite direction.l y, The contacting part 31 terminates inwardly,y of'or below-the portion 28 so' that o the lock cylinder 2 may Contact with thevsaid ortion 28 to depress` the'same without contac'ting with the part' 3 1'of" the Contact 13. The portion 31 projectstoward theto `or 30 .outer 'end of they switch lock'v structure rom a projection` 32 whichy springs from' a base ortion 33 which isy secured by means of'rivets34 upon the-bottom'or/innerside of the disc 11.*' The projection y32 extends through anotch in theedge ofthe disc '11.' The .base v portion 33 is providedv with a. lug* or` projection 35 ywhichextends outwardly lin adjoining co-operative relation to the inner end. of an opening' 36 throughthe'vcasing: 1 y through` which "a binding post 37 extends.

' The binding'y post extends Athrough anv open- .in'gfthrough tlieQlug or `proj`ection-35 and! through openings provided in' an.` inside ,washe'r l 37falbushingi 38 located inthe 4510' VeningI36, and ank outside washer 39, all tgree' vconsisting of insulating' material. A conducting wire is `adapted vto be fastened l tothe outer end portion of the -bindingpost )37-and heldwthereon by'rfmea'nsof a clamp- 59'inV nut'40 lwhich also clampsf'and holdsthe @lead '41 of the binding'ofpost 3l7'agai'nst the prjectionB as shown. n i ormally the 'portion 28f of jthe; yoke- `rshaped contact 12tends'tooccupy its outer- 'most 'position in which th'ei' inclinedk extenl sionl ,'30 thereof will'contact with the-contact portion 3'1 of .therv other.' of theysaid contacts 13. The :presence of the spring 36 insures kthat the portion 28,-,whenpermitted 50 to do soywill move outwardly Iso to cause' th'eportion 30 tocontacty with the` -port ion {VVhenv ythe .lockingrboltf jis disengaged' 'fromfthe shoulder.y at vthe outerend 'ofthe notch; 6 a coileds'pring42causes outward or forward movement of the lock cylinder 2 into the position in which it is shown in Fig. 1 of the drawing. The tendency of the spring 42 normally is to expand and when the lock is in Alocked position, as s own in Fig. 2, the vsaid spring is compressed so that upon release of the locking bolt 7 the lockH cylinder is moved quickly forward or toward the` front ofthedevice. Such movement permitsy similar or like' y.moi/"ement of the-v portion 28 ofthe yokeshaped Contact 12 so `that the inclined 'extension' 30thereof contacts with the portion 31 of the Contact l13to close'the circuit of which the contact elements constitute a part.'k

When the lock is in unlocked position the bottoms orinner endsof the-cylinder and of they barrel-within the cylinder are held outwardly or toward'the 'front of', the de# vicein` spaced relation to the'member 28, so vthat when 'the' circuit is `closed lby contact of the contacts 12 andV 13 it" may .not be lrounded by thel contact of the member 28 withthe lock. When, however, the movable part of the lock structure has beenwmoved into lockingjposition it contactswit'h the portion 28 and 'remains in Contact therewith until released;` When in'`- such position the conductor 23 (which may have connection, as stated, with the Atimer distributor of.V an ignition means is grounded through the locky structure and thesupport upon which it may be mounte f f j f j' f 'It will be seen that by 'my invention I have providedfan"electric switch lock 'of'extreme simplicity 'and'fof a character such that it may be manui'actured y'at' a minimum of expenseorcost;` and 'alsoit'fwill be seen that I have provideda structureV i'n which ahigh degree of protectionis* afforded because of the protection of vthe conductor' 23 by means of a protecting element 25. When .the locking means isfin locked position,v andk assuming the device is employed as an automobile switch lock, it lwill be apparent that the switch cannotbelclose'd to closethe circuit tooperate the automobileexcept by; a 'erson' havinga key for ywithdrawing the bolt 7 from the notch 6 to permit'the spring 42 to shift vthe lock cylinder-to its'outermost o'sition.`y f v It will be apparentthatthe contacts 12 and 13 may be of -othershapes or constructions` than a's shown it Vbeing' essential only that one 'of the contacts shall/be movedfout of andinto kcontactfwith 'the other by the action ofthe movable part ofthe lock thereo .upon-*its'movement'finto and` out 'of lock,- ingPOsition. l Having thu's described my inventionv what I claim'anddesire "to secure by vLetters'Patentisz-f f "11. In@ an; electric' switch lock-having acasingzand alock cylinder lmounted therein movable longitudinally thereof froman. un-

locked position to a locked position and vice versa, the combination ina switch, of a closure for Said casing mountedin the rear end thereof and two contact arms mounted on said closure and insulated from said casing, one of said arms being relatively rigid and the other of said arms being relatively flexible and normally being in circuitclosing contact at its free end with the free end i0 of said rigid arm, said rigid arm being at all times out of the path of the movement of said cylinder and said fiexible arm being offset toward said cylinder and in the path of the movement of said `cylinder and engaged by said cylinder as the latter nears its locked position and moved 4by said cylinder and held out of contact with said rigid arm by said cylinder and grounded by its contact with said cylinder `and so long as said cylinder is in its locked position.

2. In an electric switch lock having a casing and a lock cylinder mounted therein and movable longitudinally thereof from an unlocked position to a locked position and vice versa, the combination in a switch, of a closure for said casing irreniovably mounted in the rear end thereof and two contact arms mounted on said closure and insulated from said casing, one of said arms being relatively rigid and the other relatively flexible, the free ends of said flexible arm being inclined inwardly toward the axis of said cylinder and being normally in circuit closing contact with the free end of said relatively rigid arm, said ends of said arms being parallel, lying flat against each other in closed position, said rigid arm being at all times out of the path of the movement of said cylinder and said iexible arm being offset toward said cylinder and lying in the path of the movement of said cylinder for engagement by said cylinder asthe latter nears its locked position and moved out of contact with said rigid arm by said cylinder when and so long as said'cylinder is in its locked position.

In testimony that I vclaim the foregoing as my invention, I have hereunto signed my name this 27th day of February, A. D. 1930.

FREDERICK W. KULICKE. 

